Constellation class
The Constellation-class was a type of Federation cruiser in service to Starfleet in the 23rd and 24th centuries. This class was designed for operating independently of Starfleet Command in the remote reaches of the Federation. The class' successor design were the heavy cruisers. Development history The Constellation-class starship was named in memory of the original , which was commanded by Commodore Matthew Decker and lost in battle against a created doomsday machine in 2267. The first ship of this class, the NX-1974, was commissioned under experimental status in the year 2275. The Constellation was soon followed by the and the , with construction beginning soon thereafter on the and the . These ships were among the mainstay of Starfleet's exploratory and defense efforts through the early part of the 24th century, some commanded by the same captain for up to twenty years or more. By the 2330s, construction of new Constellation-class vessels were limited to two-a-year as new starship designs, such as the , came into service. These "old-style" vessels were on the verge of being phased out of front-line service in the 2360s, regarded as being "overworked and underpowered". Many had already been entirely decommissioned and rendered "warp inactive", which included removing all antimatter but did not include removing the warp core. Those that were still in service in the 2360s and 2370s were engaged in support roles within the fleet, such as transport duties and search and rescue missions. External Arrangement The Constellation class featured four warp nacelles, a design which had previously existed as early as 2254 in the form of the [[USS Nelson (EV)|USS Nelson]]. This configuration was later seen in both the and in the late 24th century. :The USS Nelson seen in "The Fallen" was described on a letters page of a later Early Voyages comic in response to inquiries about it being a TOS era Constellation class as a "prototype of a top secret class". The Constitution class variant model seen in TNG "Booby Trap" is another example of the "sideways" Constellation class nacelle arrangement, however there is no other evidence beside the fact have similar configurations that the two have any connection. This class also mounted two impulse engine units in a vertical orientation between the nacelles in line with the saucer. Not altering the top sublight speed of the class, these redundant units--when used in concert with each other--gave the ship a huge advantage in acceleration and maneuverability. The Constellations also mounted twin Constitution-style photon decks at the T-joints of each nacelle assembly, above and below the level of the saucer. This gave the Constellation class four forward photon tubes, each capable of firing a two torpedo spread for a very respectable total salvo of eight torpedoes. :The number of tubes is based on the "Star Trek: The Magazine" cross section, and the salvos are based on seeing the Enterprise fire two torpedoes from one tube in the final stage of her battle with the Reliant in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The underside of the Constellation class saucer featured many fairings that marred her otherwise clean lines. These pallets contained special sensor equipment that befitted her role as a deep-space explorer, most of which could be exchanged for mission specific equipment at a starbase, and could be accessed from the deck above. History and specifications In the 25th century, the Constellation-class would continue in Starfleet service as a modernized heavy cruiser, generally commanded by an officer with the rank of commander. By this time the Constellation, had been the basis for several other starships, including the and the . Class variations In the early 25th century, the design of the Constellation-class heavy escort allowed its commanding officer to choose from different hull liveries, which could be modified further. Due to the ship's modular design, hull components were easily exchangebale with those of other four-nacelled heavy cruisers. Known vessels * (NCC-1974) * (NCC-2500) * (NCC-2501) * (NCC-2502) * (NCC-2503) * (NCC-2505) * (NCC-2506) * (NCC-2507) * (NCC-2508) * (NCC-2509) * (NCC-2510) * (NCC-2511) * (NCC-2512) * (NCC-2513) * (NCC-2514) * (NCC-2515) * (NCC-2516) * (NCC-2517) * (NCC-2518) * (NCC-2519) * (NCC-2520) * (NCC-2521) * (NCC-2523) * (NCC-2524) * (NCC-2525) * (NCC-2590) * (NCC-2593) * (NCC-2893/NCC-2522) * (NCC-3069/NCC-2504) * (NCC-3890) * (NCC-9754) * (NCC-9761) * * * * * * * * * * (NCC-9762) Heavy destroyer sub-type Specific ships of this class were outfitted as heavy destroyer vessels. : • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Category:Federation starship classes Category:Terran Empire starship classes